The City Between Life and Death Kathmandu

After seeing Kathmandu once, none of your perceptions will be the same as before. Kathmandu's ethereal and mystical atmosphere lulls even the most spiritually lazy souls. Sometimes it is incomprehensible when you are there, but long after you return, the energy of the place comes out when you least expect it, reminding you of itself. Because first you have to digest what you see. In order to feel Kathmandu, which is somewhere between life and death, you need to close your eyes to the dust, mud and misery of the streets and see the sounds and colors with your heart.

Under the splendor of Everest, a trip to Nepal where temples and colorful prayer flags mingle with the sky, where the vibrations of mantras and prayer bowls rise to the sky, prayer wheels are turned with good wishes for animals, humans and the entire universe, people who are content with less dress colorfully and smile white. an unforgettable experience.

In stark contrast to Kathmandu's ethereal atmosphere and mysticism, the flamboyant word 'game changer' fits perfectly to describe it. There are some travels that settle in one's soul and never come out. It always reminds of itself and makes you want to go back there again. Kathmandu corresponds to exactly this in my end life. Even if he has gone a few times, his energy is strong enough to hit the road again.

Temples, traditionally dressed people, markets, dusty streets, vendors, tourists, Buddhist monks, monkeys, dogs, everyone and everything lives in harmony and calmness from the Swayambhunath Temple, under the Buddha's eyes believed to be watching over the entire city. There is no room for anger and anger in the land of Buddha, whom his father named 'Siddarta' at his birth. No matter what the circumstances of life, there is a smile.

It is impossible not to be affected by the cremation ceremonies in Pashupatinath Temple, which reminds this in the most concrete way in Kathmandu, which makes you feel that life and death are an inseparable whole. Only Hindus can enter the temple, which is located by the Bagmati River and dedicated to the Indian God Shiva. You can witness the ceremony by joining the people lined up along the river, where the dead are ritually soaked in the river and then placed on the stone platform. This Hindu temple with the largest number of cremations in Kathmandu turns your perception and understanding of death upside down. While your mind and soul are trying to digest what you see in the moments you are there, when you leave, and even in the very next moments, you are once again amazed at how at peace with these concepts people who do not cry over their dead people are.

Tamel, which is the most vibrant city in the city and where everyone does not come back without stopping by at least once, is colorful enough to easily get rid of the influence of what you see and the spiritual dimension and easily transition to the 'shopping' dimension, which is one of the material dimensions of life. You may be surprised where to look in Tamel. Interesting masks, wooden sculptures, various pashmina shawls, prayer bowls, colorful felt caps, hats, bags, bookstores selling books on every imaginable subject written in English, especially in English, street barbers shaving their customers, tourists dressed as hippies, and hostels that go up the shabby stairs, travel agencies that organize tours to Everest, dozens of shops selling extreme sports and camping equipment, hundreds of kinds of calendars with Buddha figures, notebooks. Hours pass in between. Also, it should not be surprising to see the snake charmers identified with India here as well; because Nepal and India were one huge country with no borders long ago. While almost the same lands lead to the beautiful dream of a world utopia without borders, it is necessary to feed the hungry stomachs between these spiritual and material transitions. Nepalese cuisine has similarities with Indian cuisine. Spicy dishes and the ingredients used are like two kitchens that are a continuation of each other. Nepalese cuisine, which is mainly prepared with lentils, potatoes and rice, colored and flavored by spices, is a complete paradise for vegetarians.

Durbar Square, the square where Nepalis socialize as well as those who come from all over the world to get closer to the spirit of Nepal and see the splendor of Everest, is crowded every hour of the day. When you reach Durbar Square with a half-hour walk from Tamel, it is impossible not to admire the Buddhist stupas surrounding the square and the statuettes adorning the outer surfaces of the temples. Nepal, which has preserved its original and traditional state for centuries, makes this feel the most in Durbar Square. After a while, you should not leave the square without feeling the energy of the square, which starts to feel surreal as if you are on the set of a movie or in a dream.

Regardless of the destination, as the time of return approaches, people rush to find a place in their memory for the latest images that catch their eye in that city. Nepal, which I watched from behind the windows of the vehicle that took me to the airport, was like a different place among the breathtaking and impressive mountains in the early hours of the morning, in the city that started to wake up under the lazy winter sun. It is always in my mind as it makes you feel in the universe and in time.